How Husker Power began with Bob Devaney

High School

Between 1962-65 my high school coach Hugh Morrison provided direction in physical education weight training class and as the head football and track coach at Alhambra High School in Phoenix, Arizona.

Enter Bob Devaney

So while I was in high school in Arizona the University of Nebraska hired Bob Devaney as the Head Football Coach and immediately became a force in the Big Eight Conference. Prior to Devaney’s arrival, Nebraska football had seven consecutive losing seasons. Coached his staff engineered an immediate turnaround with a 9–2 record in 1962 that included an upset victory over Michigan at Michigan and a victory in the Gotham Bowl at Yankee Stadium over the Miami Hurricanes.

Devaney Named Nebraska Athletic Director

For the first time since Devaney’s first season of 1962, Nebraska would not lead the Big Eight in total offense. The Cornhuskers had led the conference with 347.6 offensive yards a game in 1963, 348.5 in 1964, 404.0 in 1965, and 318.8 in 1966. The figure dropped again to 317.1 yards a game in Consecutive 6–4 seasons followed in 1967 and 1968 and Devaney became subject to a whispering campaign about whether he had peaked. There were rumors that some of his position coaches might be fired. Coach Devaney told them if anyone goes we all go. Also in 1967 Bob Devaney was named Nebraska Athletic Director and served until 1993.

Early Strength Training Roots

Coach Devaney asked Offensive Line Coach Cletus Fischer, Assistant Track Coach Dean Brittenham, and Athletic Trainer George Sullivan to ramp up the winter conditioning program for football players. They created a very demanding eight station circuit of agility drills and running stations. With 40 minutes of continuous work the result was more endurance than more muscle. The only exception was the axe handle drill where the players were able to catch their breath until it was their turn to compete one on one with another player. Football coaches ran most of the stations but they asked me to run a station where the players would lift 47.3 lb. bars with cement cans on each end continuously for 5 minutes. Why did they ask me? Because I had lifting experience. Cletus asked me if I would allow them to film me demonstrating the drills so the players would see what and how to do the drills they wanted. The filming went well so they asked me to run one of the stations for them. Little did they know that in just a couple of years I would make major changes in the way Nebraska athletes trained.

Early Schulte Field House Gym

For the first time since Devaney’s first season of 1962, Nebraska would not lead the Big Eight in total offense. The Cornhuskers had led the conference with 347.6 offensive yards a game in 1963, 348.5 in 1964, 404.0 in 1965, and 318.8 in 1966. The figure dropped again to 317.1 yards a game in Consecutive 6–4 seasons followed in 1967 and 1968 and Devaney became subject to a whispering campaign about whether he had peaked. There were rumors that some of his position coaches might be fired. Coach Devaney told them if anyone goes we all go. Also in 1967 Bob Devaney was named Nebraska Athletic Director and served until 1993.

From Athlete to Strength Coach

Dean Brittenham was my pole vaulting coach at Nebraska. I had set the Nebraska pole vaulting record indoors as a junior in 1968. In the outdoor season I broke my leg then hurt my back and was red-shirted my senior year which led to time in the Schulte Field House weight room. Tom Osborne, an assistant football coach saw that I had been helping the injured football players and asked if I would help the entire team.

First Performance Testing Begins

I decided I needed to test the players on the 40 yard dash like the NFL was doing so I could show him the lifting was making the players faster. I knew it was important to show Coach Devaney that no one was getting slower. The problem was we didn’t have a stop watch. I borrowed one from the P.E. Department and we starting doing Performance testing.

300 Pound Bench Press Club

I started the 300 lb. Bench Press Club with linebacker John Pitts being the first Husker to officially bench press 300 lbs.

Game of the Century Victory

A win in the game of the Century against Oklahoma put Nebraska in position to win it’s first national title as Jerry Tagge powered Nebrask past LSU 17-12 and Nebraska began a string of Top Ten rankings that lasted twenty years.

Birth of “The Lifting News”

October 16 – A weekly newsletter was started titled “The Lifting News.”

November 20 – I was asked to assist Dr. Bob Robertson and Dr. Ken Rose with an NCAA study on the seasonal fluctuations of performance. Testing was conducted in Nebraska’s East Stadium research lab.

I was starting to experiment with circuit training and determining the effects of changing the rest interval between sets etc. for different sports. We didn’t have room in the Schulte Weightroom in the North Stadium but we were are to build a 1400 sq. ft. Circuit Room in the newly opened South Stadium. Circuit training would later be shown to produce tremendous muscle gains if the rest interval was correct between sets.

Strength Manual Hall of Fame

My 1972 Strength of Nebraska Training Manual would later be included in the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.

Basketball Joins Strength Program

NU Basketball begins a lifting program for the first time. Astro Turf off the field installed in the North Field House

Body by Boyd Program

I put in a wellness program for ladies in the athletic department and coaches wives which included a Body by Boyd t-shirt.

Milestone Year for Strength

January 20th – Bruce Conger was the first NU wrestler to bench press 300 lbs.

March 10th – Dave Gillespie became the first I-Back to bench press 300 lbs.

The University of Miami hired me to design their football weight room.

Merlene Ottey one of the greatest female athletes in Olympic history was a Husker.

Dr. Aleen Swofford was hired as the first Women’s Athletic Director at Nebraska and I was asked to introduce strength training to all eight women’s sports.

Peggy Liddick was the first female to make the Lifting Newsletter.

Mike Arthur Breaks Records

Mike Arthur, my fourth assistant and the first to be paid sets the world record deadlift at 545 lbs. at 132 lbs. bodyweight. As far as we know Mike was the first paid Assistant Strength Coach in the country. Mike would become one of the top strength coaches in the nation staying with the Huskers his entire career. Mike Arthur proved to be the most important hire in my career. His interest in research allowed our programs to be cutting edge. Mike’s contribution to Nebraska’s success was largely because he was the bridge between research and application.

First 400-Pound Bench Press

February 28th – Lawrence Cooley becomes the first Husker to bench press 400 lbs. and ties I.M. Hipp for Lifter of the Year. Cooley was 6’ 240 lbs.

February 28th – Sophomore I-Back Richard Berns vertical jumped 33” on his way to 36.5” as a senior to lead all Huskers.

March 14th – QB Earl Everett lead all QB’s on the vertical jump with a 33.5” jump. Lineman Barney Cotton posted a very respectable 31”.

Mike Arthur won the AAU Collegiate National Powerlifting Championship.

I judged the Mr. America contest in Santa Monica, CA. and turned down an offer to become the National Physique Chairman.

I was later inducted into the Mr. America Hall of Fame

Air Conditioning Added to Gym

July 16th – Stan Wentz provided much needed air conditioning for the Schulte Field House weight room. The 20 ton air conditioner cooled the entire first floor for the first time since it was built in 1945.

I requested lifting equipment at the Orange Bowl practice site but was forced to bus the players to the Miami Dolphins when the equipment did not meet the needs of the team.

Russell Gary Lifter of Year

Russell Gary a defensive back was the first Husker to hold all school records for his position which helped him become the football Lifter of the Year.

National Strength Coach of the Year

Nebraska became the first school in the country to have a National Strength Coach of the Year – In 1980 when I was presented the Paramount Cup by the National Strength and Conditioning Association at it’s third national conference in Dallas.

First Computerized Strength Programs

Nebraska became the first school in the country to have lifting programs computerized for each individual using the Strength Disk developed by Mike Arthur.

Portable Training at Orange Bowl

Huskers training at Orange Bowl using portable setup of equipment designed AMF designed for Nebraska and transported to the bowl game and set-up under the stadium by my strength staff.